Motivations for Exploration
What were the three main reasons Europeans explored new lands?
Gold, God, and Glory
Who was the first European to reach the Americas in 1492?
Christopher Columbus
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The exchange of goods, animals, and ideas between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
What happened to many Native American civilizations after European colonization?
They were destroyed or severely weakened.
What was the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
The forced movement of millions of Africans to the Americas to work as slaves.
Why did Europeans want to find new trade routes to Asia?
The Silk Road was controlled by the Ottoman Empire and became too dangerous/expensive
Which explorer found a sea route to India?
Vasco da Gama
Name one crop that was brought from the Americas to Europe
Potatoes, corn, tomatoes, chocolate, etc.
What was one way Native Americans resisted European colonization?
By fighting back, like the Aztecs and Incas
What was the journey across the Atlantic Ocean called?
The Middle Passage
What does “God” refer to in the “Three G’s” of exploration?
Spreading Christianity to new lands.
Whose crew was the first to sail around the world?
Ferdinand Magellan
What animal, introduced by Europeans, changed the way Native Americans traveled?
Horses
What was one effect of European diseases on Native Americans?
Millions died from diseases like smallpox.
Why did Europeans use enslaved Africans for labor?
To work on plantations and grow cash crops like sugar and tobacco
How did European countries benefit from exploration in terms of power?
They gained wealth, land, and became more powerful in Europe.
Which Spanish explorer conquered the Aztec Empire?
Hernán Cortés
What was one negative effect of the Columbian Exchange?
Diseases like smallpox killed millions of Native Americans.
How did European settlers take land from Native Americans?
Through force, treaties, and colonization
What was one effect of the slave trade on Africa?
Millions of people were taken, and communities were destroyed.
What was one economic reason Europeans explored the Americas?
To find gold and valuable resources.
What was the name of the ship Columbus sailed on?
The Santa Maria
How did the Columbian Exchange affect European diets?
New foods like potatoes and tomatoes improved diets and helped populations grow
What is one example of Native American adaptation to European colonization?
Some groups learned European ways or formed alliances.
How did the slave trade benefit European nations?
They became wealthy from the labor of enslaved people